Before Becoming a Soldier
by Viator11
Summary: In the final year of training, the 104th Training Squad prepare for the grueling future. However, before they officially become soldiers; the squad, along with Eren and Mikasa, realize how different their world can be without war.
1. Summer

**Ok, this took a while ha. Excuses aside, this will be a four chapter series; I'm sure you guys can think of the titles for the next three chapters as well. I want to thank jessy0622 and Polska-1999 for being my first followers! It might not be a big deal to others, but I'm really thankful. I am also thankful for reviewers Sentinel07 and kiks493 for giving me their opinions. Anyways, enjoy the story!**

**Note: I do not own any characters, setting, or anything Attack on Titan; just a fan. Please support Hajime Isayama for being awesome.**

**Setting: During the two years of training**

Chapter 1: Summer

The bolstering heat was beginning to affect the young soldiers, as the sweltering sun forced droplets of sweat to cascade down their bodies. Currently, the 104th Training Squad was doing pushups until their arms could no longer function, because of the events that transpired earlier.

**Few hours earlier: Early morning.**

"We didn't really get to eat much this morning, huh?" Connie said as he walked towards his comrades just outside the male barracks; face still drowsy from the early morning bell.

"Yeah, I guess food is starting to get scarce," said Marco.

"Seriously, how are we supposed to train if we don't have any energy? We already don't get enough sleep and now, no food," said an irritated Jean.

"I doubt food will get you to start training seriously, Jean," said Eren. He made his way to the group, to a not so happy Jean.

"Oh yeah, you should really like not eating much since your so ready to die." "Tch, you should be fine eating carrots, that's all the energy you need after all. And maybe some sugar cubes. " "HUH?! Enough with the horse jokes, you suicidal bastard!"

"Guys, calm down," said a very concerned Marco.

"Yeah *yawn, it's a little too early for this," said Connie.

"Are they at it again?" said Armin, who just joined the group. "Haha, It looks like we are going to get a show," said Reiner who noticed the commotion and was followed by the silent Bertholdt. "Uh you guys, if we don't hurry—."

"Shut up! I'll drop you from the wall so you can meet your beloved Titans!" said Jean. "Bring it! I'll end yo—w-whoa...Hey, Mikasa! Let me go," said a flailing Eren as he was being dragged away from the guys.

"It's time to go, we have to get in line before Shadis gets mad at us," said Mikasa.

"Mikasa's right you guys! If you don't hurry, we are going to have to do laps till the Sun falls!" Armin said as he was beginning to jog towards the same direction as Mikasa.

"Crap! He's right…let's go; stop wasting time Jean!" said Connie as he followed suit.

"Hey! Its not my fault…ah, whatever." The male trainees, and a sighing Bertholdt, proceeded to where the girls were.

"About time you guys got here, your lucky Shadis isn't here yet; what were you doing fixing each other's hair?" said Ymir.

"Heh, jokes on you I don't have any!" said Connie. "Nice comeback shorty," said Ymir who was uninterested in said "shorty."

"Enough Ymir, I think we are all just a little bit cranky for not eating that much, or sleeping enough. Speaking of food have you guys seen Sasha?" said Christa was turning her head around searching for said girl.

"No, why what happened?" said Marco.

"After breakfast she sort of disappeared," said a concerned Christa. "Ah, this is going to be good," said Reiner.

"MAGGOTS! IN LINE NOW!" The loud and prominent drill instructor, Keith Shadis, walked towards the cadets. As he moved closer towards them, the trainees soon noticed that Sasha was following behind him, shamefully.

"I want you all to thank Miss Braus here for making the rest of your time here more of a living hell than it already was; if that's even possible." Sasha faced her comrades with an apologetic grin.

"Because of her you will start doing push-ups until you can no longer feel blood flowing through them. NOW, GET DOWN AND START MAGGOTS!"

**Present time.**

"I can't…believe…*urgh…you stole food…again!" Said Jean.

"Were you satisfied with what we had this morning!?" Sasha said as her arms were starting to waver. Jean remained quiet, "I thought so."

The rest of the 104th training squad decided that arguing with Sasha about food was a useless effort, so they dropped it.

The intense pushups were followed, by pull-ups, crunches, running laps and other intense exercises that left the squad praying for their God. It was a day that no one wanted to live through again.

"That's enough!" yelled Shadis as he listened to the collective sounds of sighing and moaning from the cadets. "Now then go back to your barracks and get something to eat before I decide you should run all night."

As the boys made their way back to the barracks, Mikasa gently tapped Eren on his shoulder. "Don't forget to drink some water, and put some ice on your arms and legs."

"Mikasa," a sighing Eren said, "I'm really too tired to start this…so, fine I will."

Mikasa was a little surprised to hear that from Eren, "Good, I'll see you at the dining hall and I'll save some food for you."

"Yeah ok…just…ow…go back to the girls barracks before Shadis makes us do more things," said Eren as he was slowly walking back to the boy's barracks with Armin in tow. Mikasa jogged back to her barracks and noticed some of the girls smirking as she walked back into the wooden house.

"Must be nice check on your boyfriend every now and then, did you give him a goodbye kiss on the way out?" said Ymir. A blushing Mikasa was forced to stop changing out of her uniform to confront the smirking girl. "He is my family, that's all."

"Still though, you do seem to care about him a lot don't you," said Christa as she was already in her normal clothes. Mikasa who still had her red face responded, "He is family, of course I care for him." "Whatever, let's get some food before potato girl eats everything; there is hardly any food as it is," Ymir said making her way towards the dining hall.

As the girls were starting to file out, Mikasa finished buttoning her shirt up; but her mind was starting to wander off as the notion of 'boyfriend' was starting to mess with her head. Every since the start of training, being around other girls has introduced Mikasa to seeing how others of her gender act. Especially, noticing the constant lovey-dovey exchange between Hannah and Franz. Admittedly, she wondered what it would be like for her and Eren to have that kind of relationship. Before going any further, she quickly shook her head, and proceeded towards the dining hall.

Even at night, the heat that occurred throughout the day was still prevalent in the air of the training camp. So, a building full of young teenagers, soon to be soldiers, was pretty unbearable; the food was not helping either.

"I swear, I don't think I can make it guys; there is hardly any food and on top of which the heat just doesn't go away," said a mumbling Connie.

"It won't last long though, I'm pretty sure their saving food for the winter when there is hardly any crop. Then we can eat; then again we'll probably be freezing ourselves and I suppose the food will probably not last long…" Armin said as his thoughts as his thoughts were starting to drift. The others weren't really too fond about his remark.

The dining hill was silent; there was such a low morale amongst the trainees that you can see the life being sucked out of each of them.

Meanwhile, Mikasa, siting across from Armin, was waiting with two trays of food for a certain temper headed boy. She almost finished her tray and decided to ask, "Hey, Armin where is Eren?"

Armin snapped out of his thoughts and turned towards the black haired girl, "I'm not sure, he said he was going to go to the bathroom…but now that you mention it, it has been a while." No longer deciding to wait, Mikasa went to look for him. But as soon as she stood up, she heard the doors creak open; there she would see something unexpected.

"Thanks again, Annie…I feel a lot better," Eren said as he made his way to Armin and Mikasa. He waved goodbye towards Annie, who simply nodded her head as she started to find her own seat.

"Eren, what took so long?" Armin said as he was done eating his meal. "Sorry, I bumped into Annie and she sort of helped me feel less sore."

"Less…sore?" said Mikasa, who continued to question, "How did she do that, Eren?" Mikasa could not understand why that girl, the one who kept pushing him down during combat practice, would even bother to help him. Mikasa was starting to over think to the point where she didn't even let Eren finish his sentence.

"Well, she gave me some tips and she—."

"You don't need to listen to her, the ice should be enough; and if it isn't, tell me and I can help you stretch your muscles…" The raven-haired girl stopped there as a small tint of red showed up on her cheeks.

"Hey, don't start this now," the boy said as he completely overlooked what she just said. "Just let me eat, your finished aren't you; you don't have to wait for me." Eren began munching the meal, if you can call it a meal.

Rather than leaving, Mikasa sat silently as she moved her eyes towards Annie, wondering what the blonde pinned up hair girl could be thinking about. Mikasa knew that she needed to do something to make Eren rely on her more.

_Of course, to prevent Annie from doing anything to Eren _she thought to herself_._

Suddenly, the sound of bells rang throughout the training camp signaling to the cadets that it was curfew time. It shook Mikasa out her thoughts and she noticed that Eren had some food at the corner of his mouth. So, she grabbed a napkin and cleaned some food off of his mouth.

A befuddled Eren dropped his spoon,"M-Mikasa what—."

"Hey! Eren you lucky bastard, your not better than me dang it!" Jean said as he noticed the recent exchange between the two teenagers.

"How many times do I have to tell you, don't touch me horse-face!" Eren, who once again immediately forgot about Mikasa's actions, was now focused on the human who had the facial features of a four-legged mammal shaped creature.

As Mikasa was preparing to stop the fight, the blonde haired girl that was in her thoughts halted her.

"You know you won't be able to baby him forever, one of these days you have to let him go," Annie said as she exited the dining hall. Mikasa wanted to say something but her mind was processing what she just said. She was right and it scared her.

**Meanwhile…**

"Shadis, the morale of the trainees is really low; at this rate, most will decide to drop out," said one the instructors. "Then those will be the ones who have given up their lives to extinction," said Shadis as he continued to read some papers on his desk.

"Yes, but if we gave them a reason to fight…they might be more assertive to become stronger soldiers. Wouldn't you agree?"

"A morale booster is what you are proposing right?" The now attentive Shadis placed his papers down, as the instructor nodded his head.

"Hmmm…" the dark eyed drill instructor pondered as he stood from his chair and looked at his window.

"Yes, a reason to fight for…indeed."

**The next day**

"Hey, this lake we are going to is the same one you showed us that night right, Reiner, Bertholdt?" said Armin, as an eager bunch of trainees were ready escape the summer heat.

"Yeah, it's the only one closest to the training grounds," Reiner said.

"Well I can't wait…this is going to be awesome!" a jumping Connie said.

"Yeah I've never been to a lake before," said Jean. "That's odd Jean, I thought a wild horse would like to graze near a body of water, heh," Eren said getting praise from Connie in the process while Reiner laughed to the point where he was having trouble breathing, even making Bertholdt chuckle. "THAT'S IT! I'm going to drown you, but not before I knock you senseless!"

"Will you guys shut up! Don't ruin this day with your same old antics," said a very determined Ymir.

"Ymir is right, just for one day can you guys just enjoy this opportunity? Who knows if we are ever going to do this again," said Christa, as the boys began to be enamored by the petit girl's remark. "Tch, fine" both Jean and Eren said.

"Hey guys, we're here!" said Armin as he was standing up from the carriage. The others followed suit and everyone gasped at the sight. The blue water shined as the small waves flowed along the shore, back and forth. The clouds floating atop the lake and along the small valley, was a forest of luscious green. Though it was still hot, the view was enough to keep it off the mind of the trainees.

"ALRIGHT MAGGOTS! It has come to my attention that a morale booster is needed. So for today, and ONLY for today of your time here, you will…enjoy yourselves. BUT remember, use this opportunity to learn from your comrades and, more importantly, provide you a reason why you are fighting the Titans. Now, get the hell out of my sight!" Shadis said as went back to the carriage and headed back to the training grounds.

"All right!" Connie said as he immediately jumped in the freshness of the lake.

"YAHOO!" Sasha yelled as she followed. "Hey Sasha, Connie! You guys just jumped in with all your clothes on," Christa said. "Who cares! This is nice…haaaaa" the girl said as she let the coolness consume her.

"Come on, let's go before we have to go back" Ymir said as she stripped to a sleeveless midriff and small shorts. As the other girls did the same, the boys began to stop what they were doing and noticed the spectacle before their eyes. "This just got a lot more better," Reiner said as he began to take off his shirt. "Definitely," said Jean who was having trouble taking off his socks.

As everyone was heading towards the water, Eren, who had nothing but his shorts on, noticed that Mikasa wasn't planning on going in the lake.

"Hey Eren, hurry up and get in the lake…I think Sasha is trying to drink the entire lake," said Armin. "Come on Sasha, that's disgusting!" yelled a trainee.

"I'll be there in a second Armin!" Eren motioned toward the oriental girl, "Hey, don't tell me you're just going to stand here and watch everyone."

In honesty, Mikasa was only looking at the others because she was too embarrassed to look at Eren and his toned body. The time spent in the trainee squad, especially the intense workout on that day really did its job. His muscles were becoming more noticeable as droplets of sweat began to roll down his body.

"I'm fine like this…you should go," said Mikasa.

"Mikasa, we are never going to get a chance like this again. Or perhaps you are too embarrassed," said the smirking boy.

Determined not to let that be the reason, Mikasa began taking her shirt off; and is seen wearing a training bra. But the real sight is towards her stomach; which, although they were not as protruding as most claim to be, were very slim and toned.

"Damn." That was the word most of the boys who noticed from the lake said. One of which was Jean, who was beginning to drool.

Eren, oblivious as usual, headed towards the lake, "Let's go then Mikasa! Armin is waiting for us!"

A small smile was formed from Mikasa's face as she followed Eren.

As the trainees enjoyed themselves, Mikasa was starting to see Eren smiling more since his mother's death. She didn't question it; she did not want to ruin this moment. After a splash to the face, Mikasa soon lost track of where Eren was. However, thanks to her cat-like awareness, it wasn't long, as she found him under the water trying to hide. Mikasa held her breath and let the cool water envelope her. Under the water, there he was, in all his majesty; where the light was refracting through the water just right so his entire body was glowing. Only to her, this is what it looked like; to anybody else it would not have been anything special. How she longed to grasp that body of his even for just a moment. To feel every inch of his skin and to leave marks so that no girl would be foolish enough to confront the boy. To taste those lips that, even though they were wet, would still be as sweet and tender as she imagined it would be. Normally, she would discard these thoughts, but for now she didn't care.

As she continued to stare at the boy she admired, the flow of the water was starting to push her slowly towards him.

To Eren, he waited for Mikasa to do something; but she just stared at him as the water was pushing him as well. Staring at the girl in front of his eyes, a sudden feeling creped on his chest. Her short black hair was floating around, giving a full view of her entire face. The light displayed her white skin; no scars, nothing that could ruin what she had.

Whether it was Mother Nature at work or just destiny, the two teenagers were close, so close, their eyes grew wider as every inch of space between them was being taken away. Close enough, for one life changing act.

That moment, however, would have to wait as the sudden rush of water forced both teenagers to gasp for air. The stricken soldiers coughed the water out of their lungs as they noticed the voices of the comedic duo.

"Ha! I knew that wasn't going to work Sasha," said Connie as he was wiping his face. "If everyone else joined in, then I'm sure we can get a big enough wave going," said a very optimistic Sasha.

"It wasn't going to work anyway guys…Oh Eren, Mikasa, there you guys are," said Armin who walked towards the pair.

Eren who was still coughing replied, "Yeah…Mikasa, are you all right?" Just then Eren noticed that the girl was no longer around, leaving the boy puzzled.

Meanwhile, Mikasa found a nice tree to hide behind as she collected herself from the others. Water dripped down her pale skin body, but the coolness of it could not stop the rising heat surfacing on her face. An intense blush arose from her cheeks as her head was trying ever so vigorously to piece the events that happened. And her heart was making it even more difficult.

**Hope you liked it; please leave a review if I messed up somewhere, if there is something you would rather see, or if you just liked it (constructive criticism appreciated!). I will work on the others as soon as I can; work, school, you know how it is. See ya later! **


	2. Autumn

**Work, school, work, school, ughhh. Here is Chapter 2 everyone! I appreciate the reviews from Polska-1999, kiks493, and Sentinel07. The reviews let me know that I am doing something right, so thanks again! AANNDD cool more followers! Thank you Polska-1999, Sentinel07, i are unicorn, jessy0622, kiks493, and meliikasa for wanting more. AAAANNNDDD thank you for those that added chapter 1 to their favorites: Cadyn Brewer-Sidelia Miller, GotTheMovesLikeYaeger (cool name ha), and, of course, Polska-1999 & kiks493. Ok, that's the end of the thank you speech, Enjoy!**

**Note: I do not own attack on titan -_-. Support Hajime Isayama for his genius.**

Chapter 2: Autumn

The sounds of compressed gas were heard throughout the forest, as leaves on the autumn trees began to fall. Their colors, shades of amber, truly represented the sign of a new season. A grapple hook, from a nearby 3D Maneuver Gear met the surface of a bark and on the other of end of the wire was the beating heart of humanities hope.

The 104th Training Squad had started to use their 3DMG, and for Eren, his moment to become a soldier was getting closer. He can already feel it; gliding around the Titan waiting for the right moment to strike. Though he struggled at first, his relentless effort to understand the gear's mechanism, gave him the confidence to defeat any Titan. As he landed on a nearby branch, he took a quick breather and glanced behind him, seeing no one in sight.

"Alright, I've definitely gotten better," said Eren as he panted.

Suddenly, the sounds of hooks latching onto the bark resonated above him. What he saw was something that shouldn't have surprised him. Mikasa swayed through the air as she passed Eren below him. She always made everything look easy, no matter what it was; and it always infuriated Eren.

"Dang it, I thought I was ahead of everyone," said Eren as he collected himself to use his 3DMG again.

Meanwhile, Mikasa took a glance beneath her and noticed him accelerating towards her. Even in midair, Mikasa was so at ease with the 3DMG, that she took the time to make sure Eren wasn't having trouble with his. She wanted to ask if he was ok; but before she could, Eren had already passed her. He was determined to finish, because he believed that if he could beat Mikasa, then it would be proof that he was getting stronger.

His demeanor, however, changed from a triumphant feeling to a feeling of pain, as the one known as Jean Kirstein collided with him in midair.

"Hey bastard! I know you have a death wish, but don't take me with you!" said Jean as attached his hooks to a nearby tree.

Also suspended from the air, Eren replied "Watch where you're going!"

"Eren. Stop it." said Mikasa as she appeared between the two while her hooks held her up.

As Eren took his attention away from the long faced mammal, he stopped and looked at the imperative girl. Looking at her, he felt something rise from his chest. It was odd; the same strange feeling from that day in the lake had returned to him. It felt foreign, it felt weird, and he didn't like it. White trails of compressed gas were left behind, as Eren fled from the two soldiers.

"Tch, that guy. H-Hey, Mikasa, sorry about having you waste your time on that. We better get going, you know…we don't want to lose our chance at being in the top ten, ha," said Jean finding it difficult to keep his eyes on Mikasa.

"Yeah…" was all Mikasa said who was already in motion.

Since that day in the lake, the morale of the training squad had gone up; and there was more food, not a lot, but another portion size to keep the trainees satisfied. Except for Sasha, which most figured would be a lost cause to please the potato-loving girl. For Mikasa, it was different; she never needed a morale boost like more food or recreation time. The morale she had was always from the boy that saved her life; but lately, her morale was low. Eren avoided her most of the time; she thought he was just focused on being stronger, but it still brought a small pain to Mikasa.

That day on the lake, her blushed face did not subside for what seemed like hours. While everyone enjoyed himself or herself, she still hid from sight as she waited for the redness to go away, but it was difficult. When she breathed, there were puffs of air escaping her mouth. When she touched her face, she felt the Goosebumps rising from her arms. When she closed her eyes, she saw him under the water and imagined a bright smile on his face. A smile that she would kill 100 Titans for, even if it was for a few seconds.

Shaking from her recollection of that day, Mikasa, along with a beaming Jean, made their way past the forest.

**Later in the Evening…**

"Hey Armin, I need to talk to you about something, do you have a minute?" said Eren. The two male trainees were walking towards the barracks.

"Yeah, no problem," said a quizzical Armin.

At the girl's barracks, Christa said with a concerned look, "I don't mean to pry, but something seems to be bothering you, Mikasa."

"What do you mean?" said Mikasa as Christa responed twiddling her fingers in the process. "Well…don't take it the wrong way…but you seem to be more brooding than usual."

"Well," Mikasa paused for a second and wondered if telling the petit girl about her problem was a good idea. As she checked her surroundings for anyone nearby, she and Christa motioned towards a bottom bunk bed. She concluded that getting a second point of view would be okay.

Back at the male barracks, the two boys sat on a bed as Armin questioned Eren, "so, that's what you wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah…have you ever had that feeling before?" said Eren.

The boy with the coconut shaped hair pondered, "Hmm…no I haven't, but the way you are describing it does sound familiar." Armin continued, "so, this only happens with Mikasa? And it feels sort of uncomfortable to you?"

"Yeah…I lose focus when it happens," said Eren as he proceeded to describe this unknown sensation, "and…I guess it makes my stomach feel lighter."

"Oh! I'm pretty sure I know what it is…you love Mikasa!" said Armin who was not so subtle with his discovery.

"Huh? What are you talking about Armin?" said Eren.

"I'm positive that's what it is; my parents told me about once, they even gave me a book that had people falling love," Armin was beginning to remember his parents and the books he read long ago; it was a happy feeling. After all, with his parents gone and no books to read, Armin found joy with this conversation. "It emphasized that you should act on those feelings, and it had this moment where the stars were—" Armin was cutoff.

"Enough, Armin. Something like that should be the last thing on my mind; seriously, this feeling…will only make me weaker," said Eren as he stood up allowing his bitterness to flow through.

At the girl's barracks, the two girls continued their conversation, "No, you can't be serious Mikasa. Doesn't it make you happy?" said a very demanding Christa.

"Yes…but it's not the appropriate time, I know that if Eren ever felt the same way he would say the same thing," said Mikasa as she grabbed her scarf thinking about the boy.

"Still, something like that shouldn't be wasted. What are you going to do then, you were a little down because Eren had been avoiding you recently, right?" said Christa.

Mikasa got up and walked towards her sweater, "Hopefully, it will go away. That's all I can do for now."

Then a sudden voice arose from the top bunk bed, "That's a good idea." It was Annie who thought she'd give Mikasa her opinion on this matter.

A startled Christa stood up from the bed, "Annie! Uh…you heard everything? Even the confession part?"

"Didn't really have a choice," Annie sat up from the bed, "besides, I'm not going to tell anyone." Mikasa, who was grasping her sweater, was not too happy to learn that someone eavesdropped, especially that it was Annie of all people.

Annie continued, "Like I said, you have to let him go, otherwise he won't be strong enough to fight and you will lose him. Love is just a burden in this world."

Fear, it came back; Mikasa felt terrified, just like that day when her parents were taken from her. Mikasa covered herself with the sweater she was grasping and said, "Annie, you are right."

Even though Christa was intimidated by the presence of the two strong women, she still felt concern for her comrade, "Mikasa…"

Mikasa fixed her scarf and continued, "but, even if I do let him go…one day, I will tell him how I feel regardless. Even in this cruel world, he deserves to know that…for what he has given me."

Mikasa walked towards the door, but not before she told Annie one last thing, "and Annie. If you hurt Eren again, I will show you something to fear other than the Titans." With that Mikasa left, while Christa also proceeded to make her way outside, "Oh I guess I should go then…uh, Ymir is probably looking for me…uh, okay bye."

Annie laid back down on her bed mulling over Mikasa's last words, "hmmm…don't worry Mikasa, I don't plan on hurting someone I'm interested in…at least not too much."

**Later that night…**

Eren decided to walk around outside since Armin was talking on and on about the book he read. He liked listening to Armin about those kinds of books before, but he had a much more pressing matter to deal with. It was not that he hated Mikasa, it's just that his mind was filled with revenge. Whether the heart wants to accept it or not, there was just no room for love. He needed to ignore these feelings for good.

Mikasa walked towards a small hill just outside the training grounds and sat down with a small candle in hand. The air was cold; the hot summer days that bothered the trainees have passed. As she kept herself warm, she noticed the faint stars overhead; how simple they were, how far away from this world they are.

"Eren…" Mikasa spoke, "I wonder…if that day will ever come, tell me Eren, how long do I have to wait."

"Mikasa," Eren approached behind her, but Mikasa didn't notice.

"Yes Eren…please tell me," said Mikasa to which Eren spoke again.

"Tell you what?" said Eren as Mikasa finally snapped out of her trance.

"Eren, w-what are you doing here?" Eren simply gestured her the same question, while Mikasa was glad that Eren didn't hear everything. Still, it was reassuring for her to see that he wasn't avoiding her this time as he plopped himself next to her.

"You know the stars can tell you when the season's are changing," said Eren as he started his process to forget about this feeling of love, as Armin put it.

Mikasa replied to Eren's comment, "or you can tell when the season's change by how cold its getting."

The snarky remark gave Eren a small chuckle, "I'm serious, look you can see Orion now; you couldn't see it during the summer nights."

"Which one's Orion?" Mikasa said as she squinted her eyes and the faint stars. "The three stars horizontal to each other, then the one's on top and below it; when you put it together you can see Orion the hunter," said Eren

"It's kind of hard to see; how do you know this much about stars anyways?" said Mikasa.

"Well, Armin showed me a book about the stars. I liked Orion because it was easy to spot and when Armin told me it was a hunter, I became more enamored by it," Eren said as he let his eyes wander through the night sky.

Mikasa cherished these moments; being with Eren alone and talking about something other than Titans. She accepted to herself that this was enough; her feelings toward Eren will have to stop. Both young teenagers, not knowing what the other was thinking, ended their feelings of love for they will be soldiers soon. But for now they enjoyed each other's company, at least for a while.

"Come on guys, hurry up," the voice of Armin was heard as both Eren and Mikasa turned their faces around and saw a small group of trainees heading their way.

Jean walked behind Armin, "Easy Armin, their just stars it's not like—hey, Mikasa, Eren?" Jean was thrilled to see Mikasa, but not so much Eren.

"Oh, did we interrupt something?" said Ymir as she had a playful smirk to which Christa was not amused.

The rest of the group that followed consisted of Marco, who was curious about what Armin wanted to show them. Reiner only came because the girls were going too, and Bertholdt who noticed Annie going as well. Sasha was promised to get some of Armin's food next time and Connie noticed everyone going somewhere so he followed.

Eren and Mikasa stood up as Armin jogged towards them, "I was trying to find you guys, Eren I remembered something from the book that I told you about."

Eren who was a little shocked quickly whispered, "Armin, It's really not a good time to talk about that especially in front of everyone."

"Not that, the stars are going to fall," Armin whispered back as he continued, "When the two lovers declare their affection towards each other, shooting stars occur. And I remembered that it is autumn, where the Orionids meteor shower starts!"

"Ori…onids…meteor…shower?" said a really confused Eren.

"Hey, Armin what are you going to show us?" said an impatient Connie.

"Oh right, blow out your candles and follow me," Armin said while the others followed him further away from the training grounds. After a few minutes of walking and the sound of Sasha's gurgling stomach, Armin found a good area for his spectacle.

"This should be far enough," said Armin as they made their way behind a hill where the lights of the camp were nonexistent.

After a few seconds, everyone's eyes began to adjust to the night sky and the once faint stars that Eren and Mikasa saw, were now brighter and there were so many that it left the mouths of the trainees open.

"I can see it now Eren, Orion the Hunter," said Mikasa as her eyes grew wide. Eren listened to her and nodded as he was still looking up at the amazement before him.

The others were amazed at the sight, while Reiner made his was towards Annie, "even you can be amazed sometimes huh." Only responding with a 'hmph', Annie did not advert her eyes from the sky. Bertholdt though knew what Annie was feeling even if she didn't say anything.

Other than the stars, a trail of what seemed like neon clouds were gathered diagonally from the horizon to as far up as the eye can see. When Armin mentioned that it was called the Milky Way, Sasha's ears perked up nearly tackling Armin to the ground.

"Sasha! It's not actually milk, right Armin?" said Connie trying to pry the girl away from Armin. Ymir who was baffled by Connie remark responded, "of course its not shorty! Marco, help me here."

"Yeah, come on guys lets just enjoy this view," Armin moved towards them and explained that it was the galaxy they live in. This brought upon a very long conversation of galaxies, black holes, planets…the meaning of life, but soon Armin noticed it was time. "It should be starting soon, guys."

What they saw next was otherworldly, an act of nature that was not of this world. Something that many of them believed could only exist in their dreams. One streak of light appeared rapidly to fast for any of them to see. But then more streaks appeared, this time in groups at different areas of the sky. The stars that once clouded the night sky were being covered lights of the falling stars. Collectively, the group was astonished and no words were exchanged. They stood there in awe watching the stars one by one skating across the Milky Way. At this moment, they forgot they were at war, they forgot about the Titans, and they forgot about becoming soldiers.

Mikasa's eyes drifted from the display above her and towards the boy next to her. Just a while ago, she agreed to end these feelings for the betterment of both of them; but still, it was difficult to say no to him. She looked at the boy who looked up at the stars; she saw the desire in his eyes. The desire to be free and nothing more, but she wished that maybe he would also want her as well.

**Thank you for those that just read my stories, I don't expect feedback from every single person, but it means a lot to see people read it. Hope you guys liked it! By the way, I usually start rough drafting on the weekends and clean it up the day after; then again it depends on school and work. Just wanted to give you guys a heads up! Thanks again!**


	3. Winter

**Hey Everybody! Chapter 3 is here! Shout out to new followers joonahullu, ValeAyita21 and Lastchaos Darknoman. AND of course I haven't forgot about the rest of you guys who favorited, followed and reviewed, thank you guys :). Also wanted to thank Taytay for the review, that really hit me :,) thanks! And I want to thank Polska-1999, who helped me with dialogue writing really appreciate it. OK no more, enjoy!**

**Note: I don't own attack on titan. Support Hajime Isayama.**

Chapter 3: Winter

There were many words that can describe how cold the early morning was for the 104th training squad; but none of the cadets could formulate a sentence, let alone a single word in their minds. The shuddering of their bodies made it difficult for their minds to seek any kind of warmth. Shadis thought it was a good idea to have the cadets wear only pants and a shirt to do their morning drills. Today, they would have a sparring tournament where winners would get to put on their jackets and the losers would keep fighting until he/she won. After a few hours only two remained, the intelligent coconut hair boy and the goddess herself.

"Looks like Armin is in a bit of a dilemma, huh," said a smirking Reiner.

No matter what Armin did, he would end up losing, so he decided to take the gentleman's approach and let Christa beat her. Although, he was having trouble moving, "I'm so-o-o c-o-o-o-l-d-d…ca-an't mo-ove."

"Hey Armin, if you hurt Christa, I'll hurt you ten fold," said Ymir.

Christa was in a no better position, but seeing Armin struggling in front of her ignited her mother mode, "A-armin are you okay? I'll let you-u win, just get o-over here."

"No-oo way you have to win, besides I-I am moving." He wasn't though and their comrades began taking bets as Connie was receiving food as collateral (we can believe Sasha was there too). After a few minutes of seeing Armin and Christa maneuver like snails, it gave realization to everyone that no one was going to win.

An agitated drill instructor had enough, "Are you kidding me! You two have got to be the sorriest excuse of trainees I have ever seen! And I thought Braus and Springer had that title covered!" Sasha and Connie both stopped gathering their winnings as they faced Shadis who continued, "Enough, you both lose. As punishment you will carry these 35-pound bags with you for the rest of the day. Now then, next routine!"

**Evening at the Dining Hall…**

"Easy…Easy…OUCH! Oh man, thanks Eren, Marco," said Armin as he slowly sat on the table

"You had it rough Armin, just take it easy for a while," said Eren, who even though made Titans the center of his life, still had the decency to worry about his best friend.

A concerned Marco also looked at Christa who was being pampered by Ymir. "It was hard enough as it was with the cold. If I knew it was going to be that bad, I would of probably just lost on purpose for the both of your sakes," said the freckled Jesus.

"Hey come on Marco," said Jean who approached the table, "tell the truth, you would not have done that."

"Hey, at least Marco is being considerate, you should try it sometime," said Eren.

"What, so you would have lost on purpose? You want to suffer before you finally kick the bucket?"

Like always, the endless banter between the two resonated throughout the dining hall, which would end abruptly when Mikasa stepped in again. It was a normal routine that all the cadets were used to, but this evening was going to be different as Bertholdt noticed something from outside the window. "Huh? Hey… you guys, it seems like it's snowing."

A doubtful Connie walked towards Bertholdt, "What? It can't be, I mean it has been cold, but it hasn't snowed in this area…in…years." Connie and the rest of the trainee squad looked with wide eyes seeing the falling snow that glistened like diamonds.

The first one out was Sasha who was more interested in drinking the falling ice with mouth wide open, "Woooo! Aaaaaahhhh!"

For the moment, everyone took a break to witness the magic before him or her; though most of them have experienced it, it was enough to forget for just a moment where they were and why they were there.

"I think I'll stay out of this one guys, hah," said Armin. Christa, also battered, agreed with him.

"I think I'll join you, Armin...ow."

For a few minutes, the trainees were gleeful and behaved like children again. That was until Shadis screamed at them to get back in the dining hall as he picked up Connie and threw him at the nearby wall. For even though that snow brought some fruitful memories to the teenagers, they also had to remember that this isn't a vacation. That soon they will be in the frontlines facing the Titans where only a few or even none of them will survive to see the next snowfall.

**One week later…**

The snow that arrived that day never stopped, as the brown dirt of the training ground was replaced by a white surface. In a normal world, this would be wonderful; but the reality of it all is that if anything, this weather actually brought an inconvenience. No crops for farmers, difficult to perform any kind of manual labor, higher chance of getting sick, in a world that was already bruised by a gigantic organism, this only added insult to injury. For the young teenagers of the 104th, this only meant more pain as they prepare themselves to be soldiers.

Shadis screamed at the trainees, "Five more minutes! Make sure you have all your gear checked!"

The cadets were hastily gathering their supplies, while Mikasa was more concerned about Eren, "Do you have everything? Do you want to borrow my scarf?"

"Stop smothering me. I have everything and I don't need your scarf, you need it more than I do," he said checking his pack one last time.

The training squad was preparing to hike towards one of the nearest mountains. Though the frost was calm at the base of the mountain, the peak showed the complete opposite.

"Are we really going to go up there," said Connie as he gazed at the mountain, which was being covered by the eerie clouds.

Marco, also nervous, said, "It looks like a snowstorm is just starting to arrive too."

"Tch, this is a stupid idea, why don't we just wait till it clears up a bit, those instructors just want to get us killed," said Jean.

Reiner, who was behind him, gave them encouragement, "This is just part of the training, it will make us into stronger soldiers."

"Easy for you to say!" said Connie.

Bertholdt defended Reiner as he intervened, "Reiner is right, if we can't handle this, we won't be able to beat the Titans."

Everyone was taken a little off-guard by Bertholdt's sudden response, technically he was right.

"Good point Hoover," said Ymir, "So, if a quiet guy like Bertholdt can deal with it, what are the rest of your excuses?"

Shadis yelled again before any of them could respond, "Alright! It's time; you will follow me as we traverse the mountain. If you get lost, remember your training; physical strength and skill don't mean shit if you can't survive this weather. Move out!"

The 104th hiked away from the training grounds and moved closer to the forest that was acted as a doorway to the mountain. Even with snowshoes, the terrain was very difficult to maneuver across, even Shadis had to leave his horse behind as the cadets tried keeping up with him. Inch by inch, the sheer winds were starting to push the cadets off balance. Step-by-Step, the altitude was making it hard for any kind of breathing. Onward the training squad went, with pounds of gear on their backs and a drill Instructor yelling at their ears.

Then, like a tidal wave, a sudden burst of wind combined with small droplets of hail rushed perpendicular to the row of cadets. Once again losing their balance, the wind bombarded them and the once soft snow now felt like a sheet of rock as they attempted to get themselves back up.

"Pull yourselves together maggots! Keep moving!" Shadis was definitely demonstrating why the entire camp feared him. The cadets steadily moved against the wind as they huddled against one another like penguins.

"E-Eren, take my scarf, here" Mikasa said as she unwrapped her treasured item handing it to Eren. As soon as she took it off, she could feel the icicle wind brushing through her neck, but being Mikasa Ackerman it might as well have been a breeze.

Eren stopped for a moment as his face showed he was not in the mood for sympathy, "I-I told you I don't need it, dang it! You take it and just focus on moving."

"Hey, if n-neither of you want to scarf, I don't mind taking it," said a humbling Jean who was trying his best to hold back his blush.

The leading cadets of the 104th stopped for a moment as the conversation caught their attention.

Ymir, on the other hand, added her point of view, "Y-You should be thankful that your girlfriend is trying to give you something warm."

Mikasa immediately blushed while the cold wind was useless against the rising heat in her cheeks. Eren, who was speechless as he tried to think of a rebuttle, wasn't paying attention to the steep slope on his side.

"Shutup! It's not—WHOA!" Eren yanked Mikasa's scarf from her hands and rolled down the snow-covered slope.

"EREN!" yelled Mikasa as she was about follow suit, but was stopped by Armin.

"Mikasa! Don't…somebody help me!" Armin yelled as Jean and Reiner came and tried to hold the girl down as she tried ever so vigorously to escape their grasp.

Armin attempted to calm her down, "Mikasa, please, stop moving…if you go down there, then you will get lost too."

"I don't care! Let me…go, Eren!"

Sasha noticed that the rest of the cadets were almost out of sight, "Hey guys, we are gonna get left behind; we have to keep up with Shadis and the others!"

"I'm NOT going anywhere," said Mikasa sternly.

Christa also tried her best to defuse the girl, "Mikasa, you know Eren is strong, he will be alright. You believe in him don't you?"

The coldness in the air and the heavy snow on the ground, forced Mikasa's energy to deplete. She did believe in him and after a minute, Mikasa collected herself as she agreed to follow the others, even though everything else in her body was screaming to find Eren.

"Come on Mikasa," said Armin. The girl reluctantly followed, quickening her pace so that she can return.

Eren opened his eyes slowly, his blurred vision showing that he was still in the snowstorm. He stood up slowly and looked up noticing how far he fell; it was a lot more than a few meters, as it was too dark to see the edge of the slope. Still, he knew that this was no time to panic; rather this was the time to prove himself that he can survive. He stared at the red scarf in his hands and wrapped it around his neck.

"Okay," he sighed, "need…to find my way back." As he walked steadily in the snow, it was becoming increasingly difficult to make out any sort of landmarks that will lead him back to the group. The blizzard was relentless, it had no attention of letting its prey go. He was starting to feel the frostbite attack his arm and legs, "Dang it, I..." he collapsed.

"I can't die here," he was starting to lose his vision, "Armin…Mikasa."

He brought his head up slowly and saw the faintest of lights, but it was bright enough to give him the energy he needed. "It's got to be a house or something," Eren said smiling, "There is no way, I am dying here." He slowly got back up and walked aimlessly toward the house, gaining more confidence for every step he made. "I still need to kill all the Titans, something like this isn't going to stop me."

Eren made his way to what seemed like a cottage, not caring whose house it was, he quickly opened the door in order to escape the freezing air. The light came from a fireplace, but the light soon turned to darkness as his vision was taken from him. Pain rushed on the back of his head as he went unconscious by a sudden strike.

After a few hours, the trainee squad arrived back to the camp, as Armin was already making his plea to Shadis.

"Please sir, Eren is out there, we need to search for him."

"I told you all before we left, if you get lost, you find your way back. If he can't survive this, then he is useless against the Titans," Shadis said as he walked away from the boy. A glaring Mikasa was ready to attack him, but was stopped by Armin. "Wait Mikasa..." the boy walked towards Shadis and saluted, "Sir! When the storm dies down, let us search for Eren. If we find Eren, then he survived the storm and this would also help us work better as a team."

After pondering a moment, Shadis replied to Armin's plea, "Fine, that is if you find him alive." Shadis walked away while Armin was already in motion setting up his plan.

"Okay, Mikasa we will go as soon as the storm dies down, we won't find him if we go now," said Armin to which Mikasa nodded.

"We are going with you," said Connie. Jean, Marco, Sasha, and Reiner also decided to join them.

"Well, good luck guys," said Ymir.

"Well, I am going too," said Christa.

"I was hoping you weren't going to say that," Ymir sighed as she followed Christa.

As the search party was being assembled, Bertholdt walked towards them, "Hey…have any of you guys seen Annie?"

**Few hours later…**

Eren had been finding himself waking up in the most uncomfortable places lately; however, this time he had a massive headache. As he was rubbing the back of his head, a sudden voice arose from his side.

"Oh you're awake." It was Annie to Eren's surprise as he sat up.

"Annie? Did you come looking for me?"

"Don't flatter yourself Eren, I got lost myself when the storm kicked in. Fortunately, I was able to find this place."

"I see…so even someone like you can get lost huh…OUCH!" Annie smacked Eren on the head, increasing the pulsating pain.

"Is that really what you say to someone who saved your life?" she said as she sat down in front of the fire.

He was having none of it; "I found this cottage on my own and why did you knocked me unconscious?"

"I didn't know it was you at first, I had to be careful," Annie walked towards the window, "we have to wait till the storm subsides. Don't worry, I'm pretty sure Mikasa is looking for you."

"She better not be, especially in this weather…" Eren began recollecting a scene similar to this. Instead of snow it was rain, instead of being saved, he was the one saving someone.

"Oh here," Annie handed Eren the scarf, "It was wet from the snow so I dried it a bit."

"Thanks," Eren didn't wrap the scarf around him this time; he held it in his hands staring at it intently.

"So, what's with you and Mikasa?" said Annie abruptly.

"What? Where did that come from?"

"You have been staring at her scarf for a while, did she give it to you?"

Eren chuckled at this, "No…I mean yes, this once belonged to me. I gave it to her when…certain events happened." Eren continued, "honestly, its just a scarf though, I'm kind of surprised she still has it."

"Is that the reason she is so attached to you? I thought it was something else like an arranged marriage."

"What?! It's not like that; my parents took her in when she was young, that's it. We are practically family."

"Seems like something more, what were those 'certain events' you were talking about."

Silence arose between the two cadets, crackling sparks from the fire and gusts of wind banging outdoors were the only sounds being heard. Eren brought his eyes down and tightly held the scarf. Annie realized she hit something; the bonds of Eren and Mikasa were much deeper than she thought.

Eren looked up at her, "you know, this is the most I have seen you talk. For once you don't seem bored."

"Well not much else to do, besides I find you interesting."

After an hour or so, the relentless storm had finally subsided. Annie stood up, "Let's go…the storm has died down."

"Oh, right," Eren got up holding the red scarf securely in his palms.

As the two cadets trudged through the snow, they were having difficulty searching for any kind of landmarks.

"I can't see any familiarities," said Eren.

"ANNIE! EREN!" a collection of voices were calling their names.

The two cadets attempted to search for the familiar shouts.

"EREN!" A voice came from ahead of them as they peered over a small hill.

"There over here!" it was Armin, followed by the rescue squad.

"EREN!" Another voice came, this time from the black haired girl who was dashing towards the boy with the red scarf, "EREN!"

Mikasa lunged at Eren immediately making sure he was alright, "Eren, are you o—"

"Yes, I'm fine don't worry…oh and here is your scarf."

Mikasa clutched her scarf as a small tint of red appeared on her cheeks. "It's fine, after all, it was yours to begin with."

Annie, hearing the conversation between the two teenagers, got a stern look from Mikasa, but then got a look of what seemed like a 'nice to see your alright'.

"Hey Annie," Reiner and Bertholdt approached her, "You alright?'

"Yeah, let's juts go back."

The group returned to the training ground where Shadis was waiting, "good to see you two alive. I hope you enjoyed your vacation because the two of you will be in charge of dinner for everyone."

**In the kitchen…**

Cooking was natural for Annie, but Eren, on the other hand, struggled a bit. After a few cuts and stains, the recurring cast of trainees visited the two as they stood at the doorway.

"How's cooking goi—Hey! Eren what happened to you?" said Armin.

"Wow you're a mess, I'm guessing Annie has been doing all the work," said Ymir.

"Shut it, it's not easy as it looks," Eren said as Mikasa was already tending to his wounds.

"Well, you're in luck cause we sneaked in to help you guys out!" Sasha said

"You only came for the food, potato-girl," said Jean.

"Heh, it's only natural I get to eat as a reward right?"

As the group made their way inside, away from the cold, Connie noticed something on top of the doorway, "By the way, what is that?"

Everyone looked up to where Connie was pointing and saw a bundle of green leaves tied together with a red ribbon.

"Huh, looks like some of the other cadets put it up there while we were looking for Eren and Annie," said Marco.

"It's a mistletoe!" said a beaming Christa, "How festive, oh, um…Ymir…Bertholdt, you might want to move away from under there."

The two cadets looked confused, neither of them understood what she meant.

"Hehe, hey Bertholdt why don't you give Ymir a big kiss," said Jean, some of them knew what it meant, while others were shocked to find out that's what it meant; especially Bertholdt. "W-what, I…I don't think Ymir wants to."

"Hmph, well hurry up and do it," said Ymir who had an uncaring expression, but it still made Bertholdt stutter at her response.

A whistling Reiner wasn't helping Bertholdt, "Go on Bertholdt."

"Uh…uh, oh! Annie let me help you with that," said a sneaky Bertholdt as he moved away from everyone.

Ymir shrugged it off and moved towards Christa, "Christa I feel sad, why don't you give me a kiss instead."

After the shenanigan's ceased, the young soldiers began cooking; most of them trying to get out of Sasha's way, while also preventing her from eating the ingredients. Eren and Mikasa were distracted by the commotion and walked unknowingly underneath the doorway.

"Oh, Eren and Mikasa, how interesting hehe," said Ymir.

Everyone stopped to look at the young teenagers as Eren and Mikasa looked up. Though they both blushed a little, they both felt at odds about it. They both, internally, agreed that they shouldn't have any romantic feelings. But their comrades stood in front of them, expecting something from them. At this point, Eren would have appreciated Jean to say something idiotic, but for some reason he was lifeless. Eren decided to get it over with and turned to Mikasa who stood still not facing him.

"Ah everyone won't stop staring at us," he grabbed on Mikasa's shoulder and turned her towards him, "don't move."

Mikasa couldn't believe it; Eren was actually going to do it. As he moved closer, she slowly closed her eyes and began quivering under his touch. The temperature in her cheeks rose when she imagined his lips touching her skin.

Unexpectedly, Eren moved his face towards her right cheek. He hesitated for a moment but then planted his lips on there. He felt the coldness from the snow that had cascaded her face, but it was still soft for his lips to have comfort in.

Mikasa's mind was going haywire. She felt the hot contact from her cheek and was unable to open her eyes, because she was too scared to look at him. She only opened her mouth as puffs of air escaped her lips. Eren, the boy that saved her life, was kissing her cheek.

He didn't know what possessed him, but Eren wanted more. Rather than ending the kiss there, he moved up to her forehead. Mikasa opened her eyes a little because she thought he was done. However, he was still inches away from her face so she quickly closed her eyes again, still not having the confidence to meet his gaze. Now she was shaking intensely, as Eren grazed away the hair from her forehead exposing the pearl skin. He pressed his lips softly on her naked forehead; Mikasa couldn't take it, in a few seconds she went from seeing Eren as a boy to a prince that had saved her from this cruel world.

After what seemed like hours, Eren released his lips from her pale white skin. The sweet aroma he inhaled was intoxicating and was reluctant to release her. Mikasa opened her eyes slowly. Her deep red cheek showed where he marked her as well as her forehead that was covered by the strands of her hair.

During the whole exchange, everyone stood there in shock.

"Wow Eren, I didn't think you were actually going to do it," said Connie, having a red tint on his cheek.

"Yeah, we were just messing around heh…" said Reiner, also blushing a bit.

"Your supposed to kiss her on the lips you know," said Ymir.

"What?!" was all Eren said as everyone giggled and returned to the task at hand. Armin walked up to Eren and patted him on the shoulder simply nodding his head. Mikasa slowly walked back to the kitchen unable to show her face to anyone.

Though there was no time to celebrate any of the holidays like they did when they were children, the soon to be soldiers found enjoyment in these moments. There lives would be much better, if they were not at war. But they are, and they could die any moment once they officially become soldiers. Mikasa knew this very much, but oh she wished she lived in a world without Titans if it meant everyday like this.

**One more chapter left. It's going to get pretty busy for me, but I'll try to get it done as soon as I can. Hopefully, before Interstellar comes out lol. **


	4. Spring

**FINAL CHAPTER! Yep, this was long I apologize; I finally got a break lol. Anyways, thank you to all of you who followed and reviewed. Thank you doesn't seem enough, but still here it is enjoy!**

**Note: I don't own attack on titan -_-**

Chapter 4: Spring

The gentle breeze skated along the soldier's back; the ends of her dark hair were swaying smoothly on the side of her cheeks. The wind continued to disguise the land as if it were an ocean; waves of green that would make anyone stop and admire the beauty that this world offered. But for the girl revered as the top trainee, all she could see was the target a couple hundred yards from her. She lay on the grass motionless with one eye closed, right index finger on the trigger, and the next second, a sound that reverberated across the landscape. A faint gas appeared in front of the barrel as Mikasa tilted her head up to see her achievement.

"Excellent shot, Ackerman, right at the center," said Shadis as he moved on to the next soldier on her right.

Armin, on her other side, added his approval, "amazing as always Mikasa, I don't think anyone else is going to match that."

Jean was next and was already showing signs of confidence, "Hey Mikasa, watch this I'll hit the mark." Jean fired the rifle; the bullet breezing through the red target hitting the mound on the other side.

"Good shot, Kirstein, a little to the left and you would have got it. Take wind into account. Next!" Shadis already moved to the next soldier as Jean clenched his teeth missing the opportunity to impress the girl next to her. "I thought I did account for the wind."

The 104th training squad was in their final month. The hard work and endless obstacles were finally going to come to an end; and replacing it was going to be the Titans. Some hoped that they would be one of the lucky ten that would have the opportunity to live in the inner wall as part of the Military Police. Realists, however, had already decided on joining the Garrison, their last option to escape the Titans. This was the mindset of most of them, but for a few, especially one, it was the light at the end of a tunnel. Finally, they were going to be soldiers and Eren's chance at revenge was getting closer.

"Okay Jaeger, when you're ready," Shadis stared at the target as he waited for the boy to fire his weapon.

Mikasa leaned up from the grass as she looked at Eren; however, this time it was not for concern, she wanted to just look at him as much as she could. Since that day in the kitchen, she has been unable to meet his gaze. She could only muster up the stolen glances when he is not paying attention to her, and they were long glances. She would stare at his body entirely; even now at this moment seeing him laid down on the grass, his brown hair swaying back and forth, lean body stretched across the ground, and determined eyes that made her heart beat. She awoke from her trance as the sound of gunpowder escaped Eren's rifle.

"Well Jaeger, you have definitely shown determination. Perfect shot," said Shadis moving to the next soldier.

Eren held his fist with triumphantly with a disgruntled Jean glaring him.

"Tch, lucky shot."

"Not looking for your approval horse face." Eren gathered his gear as he headed towards Armin and Mikasa.

"Hey you guys finished too? I got a perfect hit."

Mikasa, already facing another direction, nodded her head as Armin answered for the both of them, "Yeah I'm glad I was able to at least hit the target…but Mikasa got a perfect hit as well."

Eren came down from his high, it was something he should have already expected "I see…good job Mikasa."

Mikasa didn't show any sign of indication that he heard Eren's praise as she walked away, face not even glancing once during the exchange. Eren immediately got irritated at her response, but he had misunderstood completely. Mikasa mentally cursed herself; her heart was in a rollercoaster. First, she admitted her feelings for Eren to Christa, and Annie of all people. Then, she agreed to end these feelings only to reconsider when she had the intimate moment with Eren. Now, all she wanted was to just scream it out of her system. It was torture, she needed to decide what to do; she needed help, from somewhere.

"Mikasa is still being distant, huh Eren," said Armin.

Eren had relaxed a bit as he responded to Armin's concern, "Oh…yeah a little, though I think she is just focused since our training is almost done." Then Eren's mind trailed off. He started to think that maybe it wasn't the training, but the kiss under the mistletoe that made her uncomfortable.

"Or…she might still be flustered from that day," Armin said as he walked away with his gear in his hands. Eren was taken back from Armin's sudden words.

"W-What, that was months back how do you still remember that?"

"I'm pretty sure everyone there remembered that, especially her," Armin continued to walk as Eren caught up to his side.

"It wasn't meant to be anything serious, drop it Armin," Eren said as he intended to end the discussion there. Armin simply smiled at his best friend.

**The next day…**

Drill Instructor Shadis had prepared the cadets for something new.

"The General along with higher ups from Wall Sina will be taking their time to inspect the next class of soldiers. Trainees Braun, Hoover, Springer, Ackerman, Leonhardt, Blouse, Lenz, Bott, Kirstein, and Jaeger will head into town to acquire supplies for their arrival. The rest of you will clean until I start seeing sparkles. Move out!"

"Well I guess Ill see you guys later then, Eren, Mikasa," said Armin.

"Yes Armin, we will try to hurry back," said Mikasa.

Eren was not too pleased with this task, "Seriously, we have to do all this for those that hide even further from the Titans than any of us?"

"It shouldn't be that bad, the list of things isn't that long, and besides we get too meet the General himself," said Marco

"Exactly, so don't ruin this for me Jaeger; I'm assuming a few military police guys will show up, so I need to make a good first impression," said Jean.

"The only impression you need to make is how arrogant you can be Jean," said Connie walking toward the carriage with a scowled face Jean behind him.

Sasha also headed to the carriage until Ymir stopped her, "Listen potato girl, keep an eye on Christa." Ymir glanced towards the carriage, "especially from Reiner, that guy is twisted; I mean it's the least you can do after she saved you that day."

"Ah right, you still remember that…okay," replied Sasha.

"Honestly Ymir…ignore her Sasha, let's go…the list also includes food," said Christa who enticed the girl with the simple word.

A perked up Sasha grabbed Christa and ran toward the carriage. Eren and Mikasa waved toward Armin as they followed the others at the carriage.

**A few hours later…**

The 104th trainee squad briskly cleaned the last few remaining areas of the dining hall, as well as making it more noble-worthy for their special guests. Armin was handling the cooking with the other cadets as Ymir walked in the kitchen.

"Yo blondie, looks like you got it easy," said Ymir throwing a towel over her shoulder.

"Oh Ymir, yeah I guess, you had to clean the dining hall huh?" Armin stopped peeling potatoes for a moment as he wiped his hands on his apron.

"Jeez, I can't believe the filth I found, disgusting…and we eat there, bleh"

"Well it wasn't me, probably Connie or Sasha…"

"That I can believe…by the way, you do know why Shadis picked those guys to get supplies while the rest of us had to stay here right?"

"Ah…yeah, I really didn't take long for me to figure out. Those guys are the top ten of our class," Armin continued to peel potatoes as he small smile formed on his face.

Ymir noticed his reaction, "You're happy that you're not going to go to the Military Police?"

"I never wanted to go there, I am still deciding on that. I am more so happy that Eren and Mikasa are in the top ten. Aren't you happy for Christa?"

"It would be better if I was at the top too. I guess that's the result for not giving a hundred percent…At least Christa will be safe."

"Well I know Eren is going to play it safe, and I know even more so that Mikasa is going to follow him."

"What a waste of a spot, he is really hell bent on fighting the Titans. He is going to get himself killed as soon as training is over," Ymir started walking back toward the dining hall.

Armin chuckled, "Yeah, though as long as he keeps a cool head…and if Mikasa is with him…he will be fine."

**At the town market…**

"So, all that was left was to get some candles. Which should have been easy to get IF WE WERENT TRYING TO STOP THESE HORSES FROM DESTROYING THE TOWN!"

"Thanks for the synopsis Jaeger! Now focus on trying to cut the cables off the carriage!"

Both Jean and Eren maneuvered across the market street with 3DMG they had gotten from a couple military police soldiers who were knocked out by the commotion.

Two horses that were linked with a carriage, belonging to a merchant, went rampant destroying one stall after another.

"Out of the way! If you guys ruined my chances with the MP's, I am going to throw all of you off the wall and feed you to the Titans," said a very furious Jean.

**Earlier…**

"Okay all we need is candles," said Marco as he guided Sasha, Eren, Jean, and Reiner towards the last stall, "um Sasha are you alright?"

"So, we are not getting any food? I thought we were going to have a feast for the General!"

"Are you stupid, there was already food at the training camp, we just needed to get the things we didn't have at the camp," said Jean.

"Christa lied to me then," said a very gloomy Sasha. "Why Christa!"

Meanwhile, Mikasa, Annie, Bertholdt, Christa, and Connie were off to get their last remaining item for the carriage. The group of ten had decided to split up to finish quicker, although, this group was having trouble finding said item.

"Where the heck do they even sell this?" said Connie.

"It's not easy to find them and they are pretty expensive," said Annie.

"Well it's a good thing we have the money for it…whoa," Christa shuttered a bit.

"What is it Christa?" said Bertholdt.

"Oh, nothing…I felt like someone was talking about me."

Back to other group, things were starting to get out of hand as a scuffle broke out between Eren and a couple of merchants.

"Get out of my face kid, the price listed is the only price."

"Tch, that is a total rip-off they were never that expensive!" said Eren.

Jean, surprisingly agreed with Eren, "He is right, there is no way these stupid candles are worth that much."

Reiner also chimed in, "Also, I don't think this is the same price you gave to your other customers."

People near the stall were starting to watch as a crowd was soon drawn. Marco and Sasha noticed this as they tried to disperse the crowd

"Time's changed kids and I know the military will pay you good so move aside, you're ruining my business…ah perfect timing, you guys come here!"

Two military police soldiers arrived with 3DMG as they attempted to end the disturbance. They were briefed on the situation and there answer was not one the young cadets liked.

"Alright, well sorry cadets, but you have to pay him if that's the price listed," said one of the MP's as the merchant smiled.

"But, we are being scammed sir!" said Sasha while Marco and Jean were hesitant to raise their voices to the MP's.

"This merchant has the right to sell what h think is right, after all prices fluctuate now and then, we all deal with it."

Eren eyes wandered towards one of the MP's jacket and then towards the same item on the merchant's table, "so, how much did that watch cost? I bet it wasn't consumer price."

The MP's started to get mad as they attempted to grab Eren, but he maneuvered backwards rapidly. Reiner who was behind Eren was pushed backwards as he lost his balance and demolished a nearby stall. The stall had frogs that were released startling a pair of nearby horses with a carriage in tow. The driver was forced from his seat as the horses started galloping down the market street. Their carriage, which was loosely connected, was hitting everything in its path causing debris to hit the two MP soldiers unconscious. Screams and shouts were being heard throughout the town, as many tried to get out of the beasts way.

"Oh man, we have to do something," said Marco.

Jean looked towards the fallen MP's. He was hesitant but eventually decided to use their 3DMG. "Hey Eren, use the other gear and help me, it's your fault after all!"

Sasha picked up Reiner as she was trying to figure out what to do, "what about us?"

Eren and Jean had already left as a trail of gas and the sound of hooks were being echoed throughout the town.

"Reiner, Sasha, you two find the others and let them know what's going on. I'll try to find any some other soldiers," said Marco.

"Right, let's go Sasha."

**Back to present...**

Mikasa had wandered off on her own to search for the last item. Though honestly, she didn't care about this. All that was in her mind was Eren and how she needed to sort out her feelings. She stumbled upon a tiny store with various collections of tools and knickknacks. One of which was a scouting legion badge; she thought Eren might like it and that it would break the ice that had formed between them recently. She held the badge and figured that the item she was supposed to look for wasn't here, but she decide to ask anyways.

"Excuse me, do you have this?"

The merchant looked at the circled item in question. "Hmmm a lighter? I'm afraid not, sorry girl."

"I see...well then—" She was interrupted when the door was kicked open by the sudden appearance of another customer.

"Hey Benny, look at all this stuff I've got for ya today." The woman laid her box of objects on the table as she moved her glasses back to their original position. Mikasa noticed this person was wearing the same uniform as herself, except the insignia on her shoulder was different. Then Mikasa noticed that one of the objects in the box, was the lighter she needed.

"Ah, excuse me but I need that."

"Oh the lighter, well it will cost you quite a penny," said Benny.

"Hey, you have to pay me first buddy," Benny immediately retracted his statement as the woman grabbed the lighter from his hands and faced the oriental girl.

"From your uniform, I can tell you're a trainee; and I'm guessing you were ordered to get this, right?"

"Yes." The woman eyes drifted toward Mikasa's hand, "Oh you getting that for someone or for yourself?"

Mikasa immediately looked down her palm to see the badge still in her hands. A slight blush formed on her cheeks, "N-Not for me…for someone else, maybe."

The woman had a keen intuition and noticed that Mikasa was having doubts.

"Hmmm seems like something is wrong, hey Benny make yourself useful and organize this stuff in the box."

Benny sighed, "Fine, I'm not interested in your conversation anyways."

The woman in glasses returned her gaze towards Mikasa, "Oh I almost forgot, my name is Hanji Zoe, you can just call me Hanji," Mikasa replied the same way as Hanji continued, "So, what's the problem."

Mikasa was hesitant, but asking a stranger might provide a different solution.

"I have this person…that I have deep feelings for. It's really hard to say…but I-I L-love him…BUT I-I shouldn't love him, because it will just be a burden." Mikasa wrapped her arms together as this was the second time she told someone about this.

Hanji's glasses fogged up, "W-wow a sudden confession, haha, it's a burden because you are going to be soldiers soon, right?" Mikasa looked away out of embarrassment, "Yes, I just don't know what to do, what do you think I should do?"

Hanji cleared her glasses and inhaled heavily, this led Mikasa to believe that she was finally going to get the answer she had been waiting for.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you…and I don't think anyone else can either."

Mikasa was shocked, she did not expect that and immediately, her eyes wandered downwards as a frown formed on her face, "oh…I see."

"Listen Mikasa, I'm saying this, because this kind of thing should only be decided by you and no one else. You can have the advice of all the people in the world, but at the end it's just you."

Mikasa was in deep thought, she thought to herself that maybe she was going about it the wrong way. Maybe it was okay to do what she wanted, but then again how would she go about doing it.

"I see, I suppose it's never easy, this is just hurting me more."

Hanji touched her chin as she pondered for a moment. Eventually her eyes drifted towards the lighter on her hand.

"Fire is a powerful element, isn't it; it can do so much damage one time and create prosperity in another," Mikasa was confused, but she let Hanji continue, "But no matter how much the fire burns, it doesn't become as great as it is without a moment of action. A natural phenomenon like lightning hitting a collection of trees, or igniting the spark on a match, is what sets it ablaze and there you see its magic. The feeling of love can hurt but also bring happiness, and what makes it grand is the action you take to make it burn brighter."

Mikasa's eyes grew wider, the moments she loved the most was not the stolen glances towards Eren, it was the moment they both shared underneath the lake, underneath the falling stars, and underneath the mistletoe. Mikasa finally knew what to do.

"Thank you, Hanji, I must go."

A smiling Hanji stopped Mikasa, "Here take the lighter, it's on the house."

Benny interrupted, "Hey are you going to buy that item in your hand at least?"

Mikasa looked at her palm and smiled, "I don't need it." Mikasa left to join the others, leaving Hanji and Benny to their matter.

"You cost me a sale Hanji."

"Ah you can't get them all, now then how much will you pay me for all this stuff, they are objects from outside the wall and the survey corps could use the money," said a smiling Hanji to a very disgruntled Benny.

Outside, the chaos that had damaged the town finally ceased. Eren and Jean were able to separate the horses from their carriage. The others arrived as well to corner the wild animals where Christa was able to relax both of them. The people of the town were both grateful and angry with the young trainees. Eren decided that it was best to get rid of the 3DMG, so he discarded them on the side of the street, though coming back he bumped into a short man wearing the Scouting Legion uniform.

"Ah sorry…wait, you're Captain L-Levi! I am really sorry I wasn't looking."

"Hey shut up, I get it," Levi glanced back to where Eren came from, "Aren't you forgetting you gear?"

"Ah no, it's not mine, I needed to stop the horses, I am still a trainee they actually belong to the Military police," Eren's voice died down at the last words hoping Levi was not going to get him in trouble.

"Oh I see, still though, doing reckless things like that will get you killed; though I suppose since you are a trainee you don't care about death. That is unless you want to join the MP's."

Eren snapped a little at his remark, "Hell no! I want to join the Scouting Legion so that I can fight the Titans that's all, Captain Levi sir!"

Levi raised one of his eyebrows at the young soldiers response. It made him question Eren's determination, "So fighting the Titans is all you want to do?"

"Y-yes, Captain."

"Stop calling me captain brat, you're not a soldier yet."

"Yes, sir."

"Since your not a soldier yet, here is some advice you should take." Eren's ears perked up as he waited for words that might help him become a better fighter. Levi closed his eyes for a moment, and then peered them open as he looked at the people resuming their lives after the recent destruction. Levi looked back at Eren who was waiting intently for his next words.

"You should stop trying to be a soldier for a moment, and enjoy the last moments you have left, after all when you are in the scouting legion, you will most likely die very soon."

Eren was not expecting that response, especially for someone considered to be humanity's strongest. Eren was not someone who can 'enjoy life', his rage and determination is what drives him to be strong. He is not sure how to go about doing anything else but becoming a soldier.

"Sir, I'm not sure I can do that, I need to kill all the Titans…I have to," Eren's rage leaked a little, as hurtful memories began to reanimate in his mind.

"Listen brat, you wanting to kill Titans is something I can respect, but you don't want to have regrets before you face the reaper."

"But I'm not sure how."

Levi sighed at the boy's inexperience as he glanced to his side noticing a romantic couple walking by, "That's one way to do it."

Eren looked at the couple. They were smiling, holding hands, and they felt like they had nothing to worry about. Even though humanity was in the brink of extinction all around them, they found solace in each other. The hurtful memories that were covering his mind were being replaced by the image of one person, Mikasa. Eren saw himself and her doing the same thing as the couple. Then Armin's voice came to mind, "_I know what it is, you love Mikasa…just like the book with the falling stars_." Annie's voice came immediately afterward, "_Is that the reason she is so attached to you?...something more_."

"Thank you Levi…I mean, sir. I have to go now," said Eren as he motioned away from the Captain towards his comrades.

As Levi was about to walk away, Hanji arrived gleefully, "Hey Levi! I was able to get some more money. Where were you, you were supposed to come with me."

"Shut it shitty glasses, let's go back already," Levi started walking as Hanji started following him.

"I can't believe that Benny guy always buys our junk, idiot" said Levi.

"Well most of them are junk, but I think one of them turned out to be more valuable than anything else, and I let it go for free," said Hanji, but she soon regretted it as Levi grabbed her collar.

"Stupid glasses, we need every penny we can get to fund the Scouting Legion."

"Not valuable like money! Just a different kind of value, that's it," said Hanji as she pleaded innocence, to which Levi sighed and released her.

Back at the training ground, the cadets presented themselves accordingly as the General and others arrived. It was an event where the young cadets needed to act mature and professional, so Connie and Sasha were tossed in kitchen duty. The General went by each of the trainees and congratulated them for coming this far. After a few hours the General and his guests departed, finally Mikasa was able to start her mission.

"E-Eren?" she tugged at Eren's arm, as he was about to take the plates in his hands to the kitchen.

Eren turned around, "Mikasa? What is it?"

"Can you meet me at the place where we watched the stars tomorrow morning?"

Eren was a little taken back from Mikasa's request; but after everything that happened between them recently he didn't care why, he just wanted to know, "Yeah…I'll meet you there."

"Good…I mean thank you, I'll see you tomorrow morning," with that the black haired girl walked rapidly toward the girl barracks, hiding her crimson face hoping that no one would see her.

At night, after a long day, Eren could not fall asleep. It was hot and cold at the same time, this, he mentally thought, was probably the worst night ever. He wanted to sleep, but Mikasa was in his mind all night. After what Armin, Annie, and even Captain Levi said, all that was in front of him was Mikasa.

Eren smiled a bit as he sighed, "…I think, Armin was right after all…"

It was no better for Mikasa, as she tossed and turned throughout the night. Her heart had been pounding for a long time and she felt like it might explode at any moment. Regardless, this was something she had to do. The only way to end her suffering was to do this.

"Eren…please don't get mad. I love you and I have to show you that because words aren't enough to express it…"

The early morning finally arrived, a slight fog enveloped the camp but quickly vanished as the light and wind guided it away. The air was cool; the slight breeze returned again bringing about the waves of green. The sun was just over the horizon as a small shadow followed the sound of footsteps.

It was Eren holding his hands in his pockets, as he walked toward the spot where they watched the stars. After a few minutes, he reached the destination and there she was facing the sun. Her onyx hair was flowing smoothly as the wind brushed it. Her light dress was mimicking her hair giving the illusion of gliding. He saw her in a new light as she turned around to see him.

"Eren."

"Mikasa…I'm here," he walked to her side also facing the sun, but still giving his full attention to her, "so, why did you want to meet me here?"

Mikasa clutched her scarf and held her gaze down, the words like stones in her heart, "I-I wanted to tell you that I have developed these feelings this past year."

Her eyes started to drift upward, "and I know that these feelings will only be a burden since we are about to become soldiers," her gaze now fixated on Eren's eyes as his were now focused on her.

"But you have to know, you deserve to know," her eyes starting to swell up, "I-I-I…"

"Mikasa…" Eren spoke up halting her final words, "you're right these feelings are only going to be a burden when we are soldiers."

Mikasa's heart immediately collapsed; her eyes drifted back down. She had failed and now she would lose him, she would feel more lost than ever before.

Eren grabbed her hand, as tears rolled down her cheek unable to bring her eyes back up. The feeling in her hand was now foreign to her as Eren's grip tightened.

"But right now…we aren't soldiers yet, and I'm sorry for stopping you, but I wanted to say it first," Eren took a moderate breath as Mikasa used her last ounce of courage to bring her eyes up one more time.

"I love you, Mikasa."

The words she never thought in a million years she would hear; this had to be a dream for her, it was the only explanation for this. Now it was Eren's turn to be embarrassed, as he looked away slightly with bright red cheeks, but Eren wasn't finished.

"When we are soldiers, these feelings will be put aside. You know that I have to fight the Titans, it's why I'm here, so I am reall—" Eren was interrupted by the sudden taste of warmth as Mikasa lunged herself at Eren stealing the kiss that she had been dying to do for a long time. Her eyes were shut as she captured the taste that she had been aching to obtain since that day in the lake. Eren's eyes grew wide, but were soon closed as he mentally agreed that the taste of her lips was a lot better than those of her cheeks.

Mikasa couldn't hold back anymore and there was no reason too; she had gotten her answer and though they might have to put their relationship on hold, this action insured that he was hers.

Both young teenagers were inexperienced, crashing the other's lips trying to get every spot covered, their tongues fighting for dominance even though both had already won the battle. It didn't matter if they were doing it wrong, they just knew that it felt right, it felt longing, and it truly felt like love.

After a few seconds that seemed like hours, they released each other for a moment with eyelids half closed and puffs of air escaping each other's mouth. Eren held Mikasa at her hips and she moved her hand toward his face, "I'm sorry, I interrupted you," small puffs of air still escaping her lungs, "but I understand, I will fight alongside with you…I-I will keep you safe."

Eren smiled at her words, "still the same, just remember to take care of yourself…after all, when every Titan is gone from this world, then we can resume this again." Mikasa blushed at his suggestion to resume this; she was curious what more they could do.

"Let's go back, the others should be waking up by now," said Eren as he grabbed her wrist leading her back to camp.

Mikasa covered her mouth with her red scarf, as the image of a younger Eren grabbing the same wrist led her to a new home. Though that day she lost her parents, it was also the start of culminating the love of the closest person she kept in her heart. For Eren, even though there will be moments of regrets in the future, he ensured that this was not going to be one of them.

Before becoming a soldier, Eren, Mikasa and their comrades enjoyed their final moments of being human. Once they entered the war, their humanity will be stripped to become monsters in their own way in order to bring about hope. For Eren he now had another reason to fight, Mikasa Ackerman.

"_Huh, Ackerman? No, Mikasa Jaeger sounds better," _said the smiling soldier.

**This was fun I liked writing this story, especially because it was my first chapter series. AND because I got wonderful feedback, I really do appreciate it. Next, I am going to start doing short stories just so I can write more and upload stories quicker. I'll keep doing this until I get another idea for a chapter series. Thank you for reading (I know I've said a thousand times lol) and I'll see all of you soon :D. BTW Interstellar was awesome!**


	5. Epilogue

**Got this idea from Sentinel07, had to do it :P **

Epilogue

"What did you say…just now, Eren?"

Eren snapped out of his thoughts as he turned around; Mikasa was staring at him with unblinking eyes. For a moment, Eren didn't know what she was talking about, but it soon clicked when he realized that what he had just said, was not in his thoughts.

"O-Oh uh…just mumbling to myself," Eren faintly smiled, "don't worry about it."

Her wrist had been released, as he motioned backwards. His eyes had also already drifted away, but Mikasa's continued to stare at him making the boy very nervous. "No, you said…my name and…you said it sounded better with 'Jaeger' in it."

Eren was caught, he had two options: say it was a joke and have Mikasa punch him in the face, or be honest. "Dang it, I would rather fight a dozen Titans at once…well here goes nothing."

Eren brought his back up straight as Mikasa stood there, eyes still fixated on his every action.

"You're right, I said that your name would be better if it was Mikasa Jaeger."

Mikasa finally blinked, as her cheeks turned rosy, "D-Does that mean…that you, I mean…that you're p-p-proposing to me?"

"W-What?! Wait a minute Mikasa, hold on…" the boy was searching desperately for some assistance, but Mikasa was determined now, "Eren! Is that what you are saying or not!"

Just like before he had nowhere to go, but he had already come this far, "If I was going to propose to you…it would be a lot more better than this," Mikasa still holding her gaze as Eren continued, "b-but y-yeah, I guess you can take it as a proposal."

Eren was unsure what she would do, so he closed his eyes waiting for her reaction. They weren't going to be closed for long as he heard a loud thump in front of him.

"Huh? Mikasa?" He peered his eyes open to see Mikasa lying on the ground; she had fainted. "Hey Mikasa! Are you all right? Mikasa!"

The sun had barely risen, and he knew it was going to be a long day.


End file.
